Roasted Chipotle Salsa (1 Star)

Bragging is not something that I typically do (I don't think) but I am going to brag about this salsa. It's so awesome!

I recently had a craving for salsa that I bought at Costco last year that I remember being called Santa Barbara Salsa Fresca, a slightly sweet and spicy salsa with roasted peppers. (Does anyone know what I'm talking about? If so, do you know where I can buy it?) I fell in love with it last year but hadn't bought it for a while. Unfortunately I discovered that our Costco isn't carrying it anymore and may or may not later. But I had to have it. Unable to find it on the Internet and unable to find a recipe, I began trying to figure out how to make it myself. I often tinker with recipes, making changes here and there, but I have never tried to figure out the recipe for an existing dish before. And actually, it may not be accurate to say that I figured this out myself because I did find a recipe (here) that was an excellent starting point on 101 Cookbooks, but I changed it to get what I was after. And I feel like I did a fairly good job because I did get what I was after! Woo hoo!

Roasted Chipotle Salsa

3 sweet peppers, 1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow
2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 large yellow onion cut into six wedges
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and halved
2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 canned chipotle chilies with some of the sauce (these are fairly spicy, but one was not too spicy for our kids)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)
1-2 Tablespoons honey (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, stir tomatoes, onions, and garlic, with olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the olive oil coated vegetables onto a foil-lined cookie sheet (tomatoes skin side down) along with the three sweet peppers. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes and then turn the peppers over and roast another 10-15 minutes. The peppers and onions should have black spots and the tomatoes should begin to collapse a little. Remove from the oven and place peppers into the large bowl used to stir vegetables and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Remove the peppers from the bowl and remove stems and seeds and peel the skins off of the pepper flesh.

Puree four or five of the tomato halves, the chipotles, and the roasted garlic in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until coarsely chopped. Taste and add more salt and honey if desired. Be sure to have plenty of chips on hand! This is also excellent used in soups and other recipes--coming up next!

Clam Chowder and Saltine Crackers (4 Star)

Clam chowder is a popular item around here. (Except with me! I like the chowder but I could do without the clams. I guess I'm the picky one this time.) Aside from me, everyone loves it. Our second-born helped me to make this for dinner and as we were eating, the only noise was the sound of mouths smacking--an unusual occurrence.

We use a simple recipe, found here on Allrecipes. I often use evaporated milk in place of the half and half in order to ease up on fat, and I stir about a third cup of flour into the milk before adding it to the soup and then boil to create a thicker consistency.



I forgot to buy saltine crackers for this meal (I always forget something) so Brandon made his own! Wow! Check them out. He got the recipe on-line, but I don't know where. They were more dense than the store-bought variety but tasted good.

Southwestern Cornbread Salad (0 Star)

This is one of my favorite salads. The recipe is here, courtesy of Prudence Pennywise. For the cornbread I used Pioneer Woman's recipe, which is my favorite right now. There is no sugar in it and sometimes if I want some sweetness I add a little but sometimes I like it as it is. For the dressing this time I used our left over Cafe Rio dressing which was really good on this salad.

Asian Lettuce Wraps (3 Star)

These wraps are really good and fairly easy to make. I was inspired by this recipe but I changed it up quite a bit because I didn't have a number of the sauce ingredients and I had different vegetables. Instead of making the sauce in the recipe, I used my Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce that I bought at Costco, which I love.

I made a large batch due to the fact that one boy in this family could easily eat an entire two pounds of meat by himself, if allowed.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced, or pressed through garlic press
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 red peppers, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 can bamboo shoots, finely chopped
3 pounds extra lean ground beef
1 Tablespoon hot red pepper paste (we have Korean)
1 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce
crunchy lettuce or cabbage (right now I am loving the organic heirloom baby lettuces from Costco)

In a large pan or wok heat oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, peppers, and onion. Saute for about 5-8 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for one minute more.

Add the ground beef and the hot red pepper paste. Stir completely to incorporate. Add the bamboo shoots.

Add the teriyaki sauce and cook until the ground beef is cooked through. This should be juicy but not sopping.

Serve in lettuce/cabbage cups.

Ten Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice (aka: Asparagus Fried Rice [0 Star])

This recipe is from 101 Cookbooks and I was amazed that it was so good. (Have I said that before?) It had delightful texture with the substantial softness of the chickpeas and rice contrasting with the crunchy asparagus and almonds. The flavor was nutty but also fresh with asparagus and lemon. Brandon and I devoured it. I think a boy or two may have liked it had they tried it, but I didn't finish making it until they were getting ready for bed. This took me a lot longer than ten minutes to make. I have never been known for my speediness, though.

Cafe Rio Salads (3 Star)

I love Cafe Rio's pork salads. A lot of other people do, too, who work very hard to copy the exact recipe. I appreciate all the work they have gone to because I now benefit. Here is a post from one of these people that appears to be very popular amongst those wanting to replicate the salad. I used the Cilantro Lime Rice recipe and the Black Bean recipe from her site. And, if you are going for a version of the meat that is just like Cafe Rio's, I bet that this one is as good as it gets. However, due the the fact that I rarely drink caffeinated beverages and have instructed my children not to (due to the fact that they are unhealthy and addictive), I didn't think it would be a good idea to use it in our dinner. We rarely even drink pop at all. So I made up my own version of the meat that, while not authentically Cafe Rio, was still pretty good.



Sweet Pulled Pork

7 pound pork roast (mine was bone-in--it's just what I happened to have)
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 28 oz can mild enchilada sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 can diced green chilies
1-2 canned chipotle peppers plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce

In a little bowl, combine salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, and onion powder. Rub all over the pork. Place the pork into a crock pot along with any extra spice mix. In a blender blend enchilada sauce, brown sugar, molasses, green chilies, and chipotle chilies. Pour over the pork and cook on low for about 8 hours or until the pork falls apart when pulled with a fork. When pork is cooked, remove from crock pot and use two forks to pull apart, discarding any bones or fat. Stir in some of the juices to taste. I probably used about a cup. For better flavor, make the meat a day ahead and then reheat in the crock pot for a couple of hours.

Obviously, this is much less sweet than most versions (Cafe Rio pork is really sweet!), but we really enjoyed it.



I love to make homemade whole wheat flour tortillas. I use this recipe from Allrecipes. I've re-written it below with my changes.

Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

5 cups whole wheat bread flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2+ cups boiling water
all-purpose flour for rolling

In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour and salt. Add the butter, and using a hand mixer, mix on low speed until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with hand mixer until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.

Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Place back in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic. Let rest for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for that one to cook.

I only cook the amount that I am going to use at a time. For the extras, I singe each side on high heat and store in the refrigerator. When I am ready to use them, I fry to doneness. The extras could be frozen, too, but we always eat them quickly enough that this is not necessary.

This is a lot of work, but worth it to me because they taste so good, are healthy, and all of my kids love them. If I didn't go this route, I would get Costco's uncooked tortillas. Too bad they don't make whole wheat!



Costco's organic heirloom lettuces were excellent in this salad.



I used Pioneer Woman's Pico de Gallo recipe.



As mentioned above, I used the Cilantro-Lime Rice from here,



and the Black Beans from the same place, although I don't remember Cafe Rio's beans being like this. I actually don't eat there that frequently, so maybe I just don't remember. They were good, though.



For the guacamole, I mashed several avocados and mixed in a small spoonful of mayonnaise per avocado, and a little garlic powder and onion powder to taste.



For the dressing, I used a recipe given to me by a friend who's friend or relation's friend or relation had hired a chef to figure out the recipe and this is what they came up with.

Tomatillo Salad Dressing

5 tomatillos, husked, washed, and quartered
1 pkg ranch buttermilk dressing mix
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup mayo
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
5 slices of bottled jalapeno
1 Tablespoon of bottled jalapeno juice
juice of 1/2 lime
1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.



To assemble the salad, place a tortilla on a plate. Top it with meat, rice, and beans. Then top with lots of lettuce, some pico de gallo, some guacamole, and cover with the dressing. You could also serve with sour cream and cheese.

Because there are so many elements to this salad (and because I'm freaky about doing it all homemade) it took a lot of work which could obviously be alleviated by buying things like the tortillas, pico de gallo, and guac. But whatever you choose to do, this is so incredibly good and I highly recommend trying it!



It's difficult to give this salad a "boy rating" because each boy liked different elements of the salad but none of them liked the entire thing all together. One boy only liked the tortillas. Two boys like the tortillas with the meat, and one boy liked the tortillas with the meat and the beans. I can't remember if anyone liked the rice, and none of them would touch the lettuce, dressing, pico de gallo, or guac. Picky buggers! I guess I'll go with 3 stars.

Also, just as a warning, the meat juice stains! It's the fault of the enchilada sauce.

Broccoli Crunch Salad (0 Star)

This salad, courtesy of 101 Cookbooks, is so yummy. I didn't change anything except a I used a little less onion because it was too strong for me. This was not a child friendly salad for our family (very few are) but Brandon and I (and my mom, to whom I fed some of this) loved it.

Homemade Sausage (4 Star)

Homemade sausage is so good! It is also fairly easy to make. (I go the easy route and make loose sausage. Stuffing it into casings is way too intensive for me and the taste is no different.) I like to make my own because if I buy the meat on sale, it is quite inexpensive. I also like to be able to control what is in the sausage--most store-bought sausage contains MSG and cancer causing preservatives. Additionally, even though I have not specifically made an effort to purchase low fat meat, the meat that I have bought has always been low fat enough that no fat gathers in the pan when I fry the sausage. So many benefits!

A couple of weeks ago ground chicken was on sale for a great price so I bought about 45 pounds. I have also used ground pork with great results and both have been very low fat, as I mentioned before, but not low fat enough to have to add fat. (Sausage does need some fat to prevent dryness.) However, I prefer the chicken because there is a slight flavor to pork that bothers me a bit. Texture-wise, I think that the chicken and pork are comparable.

I make the sausage in five pound increments. First, I measure all of the spices onto a cookie sheet.



Then I add the meat and mix by hand. Mixing by hand is necessary because otherwise it is very difficult to incorporate the spices uniformly. I wear examination gloves on my hands because the spices and meat irritate my hands after a while and I also don't like meat under my fingernails.



I then spread a sheet of plastic wrap on top of a food scale and measure out one pound of the sausage and wrap it up.



Then I put the wrapped sausage into gallon freezer bags and keep them in our deep freeze until I'm ready to use them. I fry sausage for breakfast about once a week and use the other sausage in dinner recipes.



The finished product can either be shaped into patties to fry or, if you are as lazy as I am, just fried up scrambled fashion.





Here are my favorite recipes:


Breakfast Sausage

5 pounds ground chicken or pork
5 teaspoons sea salt
1/3 cup brown sugar or real maple syrup
1 Tablespoon sage
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


Chorizo

5 pounds ground chicken or pork
5 teaspoons sea salt
3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chipotle powder
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons sugar
5 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 teaspoon allspice
1 Tablespoon parsley
1/4 cup dried onions


Sweet and Spicy Sausage (Adapted from Prudence Pennywise's Spice Rubbed Chicken.)

5 pounds ground pork or chicken
5 teaspoons sea salt
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons coriander


Fried Rice Sausage (I created this for use in a fried rice recipe that I love.)

5 pounds ground pork or chicken
5 teaspoons sea salt
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
5 teaspoons hot red pepper paste (Korean)


Bratwurst

5 pounds ground pork or chicken
5 teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 Tablespoon ground sage
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Some of these recipes were adapted from recipes found here.

Asian Salads (0 Star)

I made these two salads, (recipes courtesy of Prudence Pennywise) and unfortunately neglected to take pictures of the Spicy Asian Pasta Salad. Pictured below is the Peanut Ginger Slaw. Both were good, but I especially liked the slaw.

Shepherd's Pie (3 Star)

"I don't want to be a pie. I don't like gravy."

(Name that movie.) This phrase said in an English accent always comes to mind when I hear the word "pie". Even if you don't like gravy, you might still like Shepherd's Pie. There is not even any chicken involved. It is the ultimate hearty comfort food. I like this recipe from Prudence Pennywise, and three of the boys liked, too, it if I left out the corn. (I made ours half corn, half no corn.)